Social Structure Flashcards
HIGH YIELD
Sociology
study of society: how we create society, interact within it, how we define what is normal and abnormal in society, and how we institutionalize these ideas
Social Structure
a system of people within a society organized by a characteristic pattern of relationships
Functionalism
- considered a macrosociological perspective
- the study of the structure and function of each part of society
- someone with this perspective focuses on the contributions of different structures to overall social functions
- theorists are concerned with how social structures interact to sustain social functioning
- sociologists associated with this theory: Durkheim
Manifest Function
Functionalism
- an action that is intended to help some part of a system
- Ex. Medical societies have the manifest function of educating a group of physicians, sharing research findings, and setting goals
Latent Function
Functionalism
- occur when manifest functions have unintended positive consequences on other parts of society
- Ex. Medical societies have a latent function of creating stronger interpersonal bonds between physicians and provide a sense of identity for the group
Conflict Theory
- considered a macrosociological perspective
- views society as a competition for limited resources – individuals and groups compete for social, political, and material resources
- focuses on how power (form of influence over other people) differentials are created and how these differentials contribute to the maintenance of social order
- perspective is concerned with structural processes that maintain social inequalities
- sociologists associated with this theory: Marx, Weber
Symbolic Interactionism
- main microsociological perspective
- humans communicate through words, gestures, and other symbols to which we attach meaning
- central idea is that symbols (things to which we attach meaning) are the key to understanding how we view the world and communicate with one another
- society is socially constructed through human interpretation and it is these interpretations that form the social bond
- sociologist associated with this theory: Mead
Social Constructionism
- considered a microsociological perspective
- individuals and groups make decisions to agree upon a given social reality
- focus on how individuals put together their social reality
- social realities are constructed both through greater social structures and through face-to-face social interactions
- Ex. applying value to money, acceptable dress, gender roles, social class, games/sports, marriage
Rational Choice Theory
- considered a microsociological perspective
- individuals will make decisions that maximize potential benefit and minimize potential harm
- individual chooses option with highest benefit-to-harm ratio when making a choice
- problemized by concepts like altruism
- Ex. making a pros and cons list
Exchange Theory
- considered a microsociological perspective
- extension of rational choice theory
- focuses on interactions in groups
- posits that an individual will carry out certain behaviors because of anticipated rewards and will avoid certain behaviors because of anticipated punishments
- assumes a behavior that is met with approval by others will reinforce that behavior and encourage its continuation
Feminist Theory
- considered both a macro- and micro-sociological perspective
- explores the ways in which one gender can be subordinated, minimized, or devalued compared to the other
- explains social inequalities that exist on the basis of gender
Glass Ceiling
phenomenon where women are less frequently promoted in the workplace and may have more difficulty attaining top-level administrative positions within a company
What are the 6 theoretical approaches to sociology?
- functionalism
- conflict theory
- symbolic interactionism
- social constructionism
- rational choice theory
- feminist theory
Social institutions
- well-established social structures that dictate certain patterns of behavior or relationships and are accepted as a fundamental part of culture
- they regulate behavior of individuals in core areas of society (the nuclear family is a social institution, for example)
- includes family, religion, education, government and economy, healthcare and medicine
Family
- a social institution influenced by a number of different factors including culture, value systems, beliefs, practices, gender, age, race, ethnicity, and others
- doesn’t have a fixed definition across cultures or through time; even terms for different members of the family aren’t conserved
Patterns of Kinship
the terms used to refer to different members of the family and the resultant responsibilities tied to those titles between different cultures
Domestic Violence
- seen across all social classes, and includes physical, sexual, emotion and financial abuse
- it is the #1 cause of injury to American women, and is most common in families with drug abuse, particularly alcoholism
Elder Abuse
seen across all socioeconomic classes, and most commonly manifests as neglect of an older relative, although it can extend to include physical, psychological and financial abuse as well
Child Abuse
- most commonly manifests as neglect, although physical, sexual and psychological abuse are also common
- doctors are trained to recognize common signs of this.
Mandated Reporter
- someone legally required to report suspected cases of elder or child abuse
- doesn’t apply to domestic abuse
- doctors are these
Education
- this social institution aims to arm the population with information
- serves to create statuses within a society and stimulate learners to add to their knowledge base
Hidden Curriculum
- the social norms, attitudes, and beliefs that education unintentionally transmits to students that fall outside of the facts and cognitive skills explicitly taught
- best explains why female students are called on less frequently in math and science classes than male students, even by female teachers
- Ex. boys are better at math and science than girls
Teacher Expectancy
- idea that teachers tend to get what they expect from their students
- teacher who places high demands on her students, but also believes that her students can rise to the challenge, will more often see students succeed than a teacher who places the same demands but doubts that the students can achieve them – example of self-fulfilling prophecy
Religion
- considered a pattern of social activities organized around a set of beliefs and practices that seek to address the meaning of existence
- persists over time and has a structure into which members are resocialized
Religiosity
- how religious one considers him- or herself to be
- includes strength of religious beliefs, engagement in religious practices and attitudes about religion itself
Secularize
move from a world dominated by religion toward rationality and scientific thinking
Fundamentalism
maintenance of strict adherence to religious code
Government and Economy
defined as systematic arrangements of political and capital relationships, activities, and social structures that affect rule making, representation of the individual in society, rights and privileges, division of labor, and production of goods and services
Democracy
allows every citizen a political voice, usually through electing representatives to office
Monarchies
include a royal ruler although the ruler’s powers may be significantly limited by the presence of a constitution and its parliamentary system
Dictatorship
system where a single person holds power and usually includes mechanisms to quell threats to his power
Theocracy
- system where power is held by religious leaders
- based around a charismatic authority (leader with a compelling personality)
Capitalist
economy has a focus on free market trade and laissez-faire policies where success or failure in business is primarily driven by consumerism with as little intervention from central governing bodies as possible
Socialist
- economy that treats large industries as collective, shared businesses and compensation is provided based on the work contribution of each individual into the system
- profit is distributed equally to the workforce
Medicine and Healthcare
aimed at maintaining or improving the health status of the individual, family, community, and society as a whole
Key goals in American healthcare:
- increased access to care
- decreased costs of healthcare
- prevention of disease before it occurs
- association of patients with a primary care physician
- increased education for the public with public health outreach
- decreased paternalism (“doctor knows best” mentality)
- reduced economic conflicts of interest for physicians
- life course approach to health (maintaining/considering a comprehensive view of the patient’s history beyond the immediate presenting symptoms)
Sick Role
- role of the patient in the mid-twentieth century
- patient was not responsible for the illness and is exempt from normal social roles
- patient had obligation to want to become well and seek out competent help
What have patient roles now shifted to?
patients are now expected to take more ownership of their health through diet, exercise, seeking help before it is needed, etc
Medicalized
- the process of defining and treating something as a medical condition
- Ex. homosexuality and transgenderism used to be considered illnesses but are not a normal part of the human condition
What are the 4 key tenets of American medical ethics?
- beneficence
- nonmaleficence
- respect for patient autonomy
- justice
Beneficence
physician has responsibility to act in patient’s best interest
Nonmaleficence
- do no harm
- physician has responsibility to avoid treatments or interventions in which the potential for harm outweighs the potential for benefit
Respect for Patient Autonomy
- physician has to respect patients’ decisions and choices about their own healthcare
- patients do have the right to refuse life-saving therapies and physician must respect this
Justice
physician has a responsibility to treat similar patients with similar care and to distribute healthcare resources fairly
Culture
- encompassing the entire lifestyle for a given group
- binds nation-states, political institutions, marketplaces, religions, and ideologies
Material Culture
- associated with objects*
- exploration of the meaning of objects of a given group, such as artwork, emblems, clothing, jewelry, foods, buildings, and tools
- Ex. American culture = BBQ, baseball, apple pie
Symbolic Culture
- associated with ideas*
- focuses on the ideas that represent a group of people
- may be encoded in mottos, songs, or catchphrases
- Ex. American culture = phrases like “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
- slower to change than material culture
Values
what a person deems important in life which dictates one’s ethical principals and standards of behavior
Belief
something that an individual accepts to be truth
Cultural Barriers
situations when a cultural difference impedes interaction with others
Rituals
- formalized ceremony that usually involves specific material objects, symbolism, and additional mandates on acceptable behavior
- Ex. Thanksgiving, weddings, catholic mass
Sociological Theories with a ___ level orientation are concerned with the nature of social interactions on the scale of the individual
mirco
Sociological Theories with a ___ level orientation are concerned with the broader social structure
macro
What classical sociologists are associated with the Conflict Theory?
- Karl Marx
- Ludwig Gumplowicz
- Max Weber
Emile Durkheim
- one of the fathers of modern sociology
- established field of sociology as separate from psychology and political philosophy
- major proponent of Functionalism
- believed society should always be viewed holistically as a collection of social facts rather than individuals
Dynamic Equilibrium
occurs when multiple interdependent parts in a society work together toward societal stability
Karl Marx
- associated with Conflict Theory
- societies progress through class struggle between those who control the production and those who provide the manpower for production
- capitalism produces internal tensions which will destroy society
- socialist
Max Weber
- associated with Conflict Theory
- capitalist system does create conflict but does not necessarily mean it always leads to collapse of society
Intersectionality
- study of overlapping systems of oppression (ex. gender, class, age, sexuality, etc)
- can be used to understand how systemic injustice and social inequality occur on a multidimensional basis
- suggests that types of oppression in society (ex. racism, sexism, classism, etc) do not act independently of each other but rather compound to create a system of oppression that reflects multiple forms of discrimination
Anomie
- state of few to no moral or social guidelines
- most likely to occur in societies in which individualism and autonomous decision-making predominate
- occurs when a society does not provide individuals with firm guidelines in relation to norms and values, and there is little moral guidance or social ethic
What are the 5 major functions of family?
- reproduction & monitoring of sexual behaviors
- social status
- affection & companionship
- socialization
- protection
